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A fat to forget: Trans fat consumption and memory
This 2015 study analyzed the data from the 1999-2005 UCSD Statin Study (involving 1018 adult men and non-procreative women aged ≥20 without diagnosed diabetes, CVD, or extreme LDL-cholesterol) to determine a possible association between dietary trans fatty acid (dTFA) consumption with word-memory. “Recurrent words” tasks helped assess word memory, while the participants’ estimated daily dTFA consumption was calculated using the Fred Hutchinson Food Frequency Questionnaire. Primary analyses focused on men since only men were effectively represented in younger adult ages. The results showed a significant interaction between age and dTFA consumption, while dTFA intake could adversely predict the memory in younger adults. Each gram of dTFA consumed daily was associated with 0.76 fewer words recalled in the “recurrent words” task (p=0.006). After making adjustments for systolic blood pressure, waist circumference and BMI, this dTFA-memory relationship was weakened, implying the mediatory roles of these factors. In conclusion, greater dTFA was significantly connected with poorer word recall among younger adults. The cause may be related to the oxidative and energy-related effects of trans fatty acids. [NPID: cognition, diabetes, trans fatty acid, memory, word recall, oxidative stress]
Year: 2015
